Advice From Leu Gardens' Pros

A LITTLE HELP FOR YOUR HOME GARDEN

February 25, 1989|By Tom MacCubbin

What will you find on a walk through Harry P. Leu Botanical Gardens? Some things may remind you of home: Roses are growing tall and entangled, beds of annuals are opening seasonal flowers and orchids are found clinging to trees or potted in special houses. But unlike home, beds are bigger and plant collections almost endless.

Giving the gardens year-round color are camellias, in bloom fall to spring, that summer favorite, the hibiscus, and golden-rain trees flowering in autumn.

Red, pure pink, snow white and bicolored flowers top camellias October through April in Central Florida. It's easy to spark interest in camellias when the plants are at peak bloom, said Janice Rahill, Leu Gardens horticulture supervisor and camellia specialist. Leu Gardens has the largest planting east of the Mississippi.

Most species love shade. Plantings will tolerate a sunny location but only if given extra care.

The small plants found at nurseries can grow to be 12 to 20 feet tall. Camellias grow well in improved sandy soils with good drainage. Make sure the soil is acid with a pH test before planting. If the root ball is pot bound, spread the roots apart as the camellias are set in the ground.

One problem with local camellias is tea scale. The insects cause the foliage to yellow. These pests are sneaky and hide on the underside of the leaves, but the white to brown fuzzlike covering gives them away. Use oil sprays of Cygon insecticides when the pests are noticed.

Other tips from Rahill:

- Add peat or leaf mold to the planting site.

- Grow in shade or filtered sun.

- Water once or twice a week during dry weather.

- Feed with an acid-forming fertilizer spring, summer and fall.

- Check for tea scale on the underside of foliage and control when present.